New Commander

[lionsbreath]

We are launching the new Jeep Commander at work tonite if anyone wants to stop by and say hello Free wine and food 5pm to 8pm @ Airpark Chrysler Jeep in Scottsdale off the 101 and Frank loyde Wright. Just say you are there to see Joe No Sale pitches from me but I will let you drive it and crawl all over it.
I know I know a toy owner selling Jeeps Well I need something to pull out. Just kidding

[datrupr]

Joe, I might be there. I wouldn't mind checking out the new Commander. I also want a couple of "trail rated" badges to put on the Trooper, because I know from experience that it is "trail rated"

And why does Jeep only trail rate their own vehicles? If they are the experts then they should trail rate other rigs as well

[datrupr]

Joe, thanks for the invite, and it was nice meeting you last night. I am not all that keen on the Commander style wise, but the dash set up is pretty cool. It was a good time and I like the cool shwag I recieved. Thanks again for the invite.

[goodtimes]

Trail Rated = Mall Rated

Jeep entheusiasts are not fond of the "trail rated" crap. If a stock production vehicle cannont make it over the Rubicon trail unassisted, then it should not carry the jeep name. DC should not "sissify" the Jeep brand just to appeal to a larger market. They have other brands to cover the other segments. They should exploit the reputations of each of the brands they own to increase sales in their respective segments, not to increase sales in different segments. By diluting the brand names, they become unrecognizable, and stand for nothing. In the days of old, if you bought a Jeep, you knew it was a pretty capable vehicle....there was a bar that had been set, and the vehicle had cleared that bar. Now, there is no standard of measurement. "Trail Rated" means nothing. It is a gimmick. This is why you see so many "mall rated" stickers on older jeeps. Jeep entheusiasts are telling DC to take their "trail rated" crap and shove it up their


end of rant. Have a nice day.

[datrupr]

GT, I agree with your rant, that is basically why I stated that my Trooper also is trail rated...By myself. It can go most anywhere any of the stock Jeeps can go (with maybe the exception of a Wrangler) and perform just as well. Along with the Taco's and TLC's, etc.... These makers know that the group of buyers they are catering to know the capabilities of the vehicles they are buying. So, why not also put a trail rated badge on these vehicles? I spoke to Joe about this a bit last night and he can better fill in the reasoning behind the Jeep "Trail Rated" marketing strategy. Which is pretty much all that it is, a marketing strategy IMO.

I put the monkey gettin' jiggy in there just for you GT.

[goodtimes]

GT, I agree with your rant, that is basically why I stated that my Trooper also is trail rated...By myself. It can go most anywhere any of the stock Jeeps can go (with maybe the exception of a Wrangler) and perform just as well. Along with the Taco's and TLC's, etc.... These makers know that the group of buyers they are catering to know the capabilities of the vehicles they are buying. So, why not also put a trail rated badge on these vehicles? I spoke to Joe about this a bit last night and he can better fill in the reasoning behind the Jeep "Trail Rated" marketing strategy. Which is pretty much all that it is, a marketing strategy IMO.

I put the monkey gettin' jiggy in there just for you GT.

I would like "trail rated" better if it was on a different vehicle. I just don't like the deal with skipping out on the long standing tradition of having a vehicle being proven on the Rubicon trail to be replaced with a marketing gimmick. BTW, I think I'm gonna order some "mall rated" stickers for my jeep....I'm just wierd like that.....

[Scott Brady]

The guy who started "Rubicon Rated" is Bob Lutz. He is a real car guy, and expects vehicles to perform as well as look great. He has a long career of success, including the Viper, PT Cruiser, etc. When he left to go to GM, so did the expectation.

[The BN Guy]

I've seen some pix of them. Decent but I'll pass. Especially on the expected price.

Like most SUV's nowadays they'll never even see a dirt road.

A buddy of mine has a great sticker on his Xterra - "OHV not SUV".

[goodtimes]

It's just too bad that Bob Lutz hasn't had the same .....I dunno...hate to call it success....but I guess that is appropriate........over at GM. DC has come a long way, with alot of really innovative vehicles (well, relatively speaking anyway). GM is/has been releasing alot of new vehicles, retiring some old stand-bys, but they just aren't generating the emotion that you saw from DC. About the only exception I have seen is SSR. The rest of the "new" vehicles that they are putting out are really bland. Well, that and they are trying to make EVERY vehicle a luxery vehicle. Some of us still want basic, minimalistic, vehicles....I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I have no need for heated leather vibrating 300 way power adjustable seats with a butt scratch mode....and I certainly don't want one in my basic commuter car.

[Scott Brady]

Lutz is faced with turning a behemoth that has lost its identity. What is GM? What do they do well? They don't even own hummer, their most identifiable brand.

I just think design and innovation is being stifled by bureaucracy.

At Toyota, an employee on her first day of work can stop the ENTIRE production line is a quality problem is found, and she would be praised for it.